The Grecia Project Begins

January 22, 2014 By

Yesterday Pastor Oscar came by the house to pick up the first payment for materials for the Grecia project. It has begun! Over the next few months, with generous help from Matrix Ministries and the donors of The Brook Ministries, Iglesia Biblica Uncion con Gloria will get a roof. Praise God!

I have met a handful of people in my life of whom I would say they had truly great faith. Oscar is one of those. Healed of terminal cancer, he gave his life to the service of the Lord, and has persevered despite many obstacles.

His church in Grecia is in a very poor part, well outside the main town. The people are mostly farmers, and very poor. The building they have been in for many years now is limiting to their ministry. By God’s grace, a church in San Jose donated a new piece of land a few blocks away–and it is beautiful. But even with the land, the church could not afford to build a new building. But by faith they began.

And now it is our honor to put a roof on what will be their new sanctuary. And I can tell you the excite is palpable. Pastor Oscar’s vision is great, and from what I’ve seen in him, I expect the Lord will do even greater things still through his ministry.

Please pray for the work, God’s continued provision, and for the mission teams coming down over the next few months.

Steve Lucas
The Brook Ministries

Filed Under: Matrix Ministries Blog Tagged With: ,

So Many Great Things Happening

January 17, 2014 By

Have you ever had those times when so many large positive things are happening that you can’t keep up?  That’s been happening to Matrix Ministries for the last several weeks.

First, we had the largest end of year donation season in our history.  With the donations given, we will be able to recover from past fixed income shortfalls, and we are in a good position for running the ministry for 2014.  Thank you so much to all who jumped in to help with that campaign.

Recently we started promoting a February mission trip to Costa Rica (we leave in 2 weeks – add us to your prayer list 😉 to help a partner pastor with a roofing project for his new church.  Let me summarize:

  • This will be our 1st project with Pastor Oscar.
  •  Thanks to our FFO volunteers and The Brook partners, the funds came through BIG time for the materials (see my last blog).
  • We have a team of 5 going on the trip.
  • One is a MM Costa Rica Trip veteran (this will be her 3rd trip).
  • One has been on mission trips with me before to another country.  1st time on a Costa Rica mission trip.
  • One is a new, but very committed Fences for Orphans volunteer.  That means he personally helped raised the funds for the materials with his manual labor here at home.  Now he gets to go put hands-on the building in Costa Rica.  He is also a retired missionary from Ecuador where he and his wife served for 21 years.  And, he’s fluent in Spanish.  This man is Acts 1:8!
  • First time on a Costa Rica mission trip.We are staying at Casa de Lucas for the 1st time.  A week with Pastor Steve and Angela.  😉
  • I got to have breakfast with a young local couple from McKinney who are considering becoming missionaries to Costa Rica who were considering coming on the trip (maybe next time).  Loved hearing their story and heart.

I am so excited about this trip.  A lot of firsts.  We’re going to have a great time.  Not too late to jump in.  Contact me if you want to go!

Yesterday, I received news that a proposed trip we’ve been working on with Cookson Hills Children’s Ministry is a GO.  If you remember, we took a team of 5 to Cookson Hills last Fall to work on new children’s home construction there.  However, this one is a reverse trip.  This time, Matrix Ministries is taking a team of Cookson Hills High School Seniors to Costa Rica.  We’ll be spending time the orphanage (Hogar de Vida) we partner with there, as well as staying at Casa de Lucas and working with a local church.

BTW – We have a Cookson Hills Mission Trip coming up in March where we will travel again to NE Oklahoma to do additional work on their new children’s homes.  Stay tuned for a communication and signup opportunities for that trip.  March 16 – March 22.  Cost will be $300 and includes all expenses.

A thought – Is it LOVE without SACRIFICE, or just CONVENIENT SERVICE?

~ Ray Young

Filed Under: Thoughts Tagged With:

God Is Moving

January 14, 2014 By

I love writing articles where I get to express how God is moving.  He is always at work, and He faithfully uses His people.  And, what I’ve discovered, is that He usually uses more than one person.  I think that’s a great picture of the Kingdom of God.  When that happens not only does He get the glory, but more of His children receive a blessing and more of them get to see a bigger picture of their Father’s Kingdom.

As most of you know, there are currently two major functions within Matrix Ministries:
1) we take people on short-term mission trips to come along side orphan caregivers and 3rd world churches.
2) under a dba called Fences For Orphans, we build fences for homeowners here at home in the DFW area.  We charge a competitive market price, but we use volunteers.  That lets us donate 80% of the profits to help orphans and 3rd world churches.  Homeowner have the option to designate the donation to orphan care or church projects.  This creates a great win-win-win scenario for the Kingdom.

During this past Fall season we were able to raise a little over $7,000.00 designated to help 3rd world churches.  Last week, we sent that to The Brook Ministries in Costa Rica.  The Brook is one of our ministry a partners with many 3rd world church connections.  The $7,000.00 was offered as a ‘match’ designated to help put a roof on a new church building for Pastor Oscar and his fellowship (fyi – the roof project will cost $20,000.00).  The Brook then offered the $7,000.00 to their ministry partners, and guess what happened? The match was accepted and even exceeded by $3,000.00.  That’s right, the $7,000.00 became $17,000.00.  Praise God for His faithfulness as He works through His children!

The Brook is now ‘reverse-challenging’ MM to raise a ‘matching’$3,000.00 in response, which we intend to offer to our partners shortly.  This ‘matching’ approach is a great multiplication factor for the Kingdom and all involved.  The investment for the homeowners and volunteers doubles right from the start; Additional financial partners have the opportunity to get involved, and their investments double as well;  and, the blessing to come alongside our brothers in 3rd world church ministries doubles.  This is God’s economy.  I call Him the Great Multiplier.  If you look through scripture you will see this principle repeated over and over again, and He invites all His children to participate in His economy of Kingdom investing.

This ‘reverse-matching’ reminds me of a praise game I have witnessed and participated in at several Christian youth conferences over the years.  One side of the auditorium starts chanting, “We love Jesus, yes we do.  We love Jesus, how about you.”  The other side responds even louder,  “We love Jesus, yes we do.  We love Jesus, how about you.”  This continues until people can’t shout any louder, their voices have given out, or everyone is just worn out.  I always loved it because it’s an example of God’s desire that His children spur each other on to good works and in the process God is praised and glorified.  This is our first reverse-challenge, and I’m excited to see what God will do through His people.  Stay tuned.

What I love most, as great as all this ‘matching’ and fundraising is to witness and be part of, is the eternal impact it enables for individuals who respond to the resulting church ministries; the eternal investment stored up for all who invest; and the glory our Lord receives as the world watches (and they are watching). Jesus said in John 15:8 – “This is to My Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit (the multiplication factor) showing yourselves to be My disciples”.

I love God’s economy.

Ray

Filed Under: Thoughts

Matrix Blessing The Work In Grecia, Costa Rica

December 27, 2013 By

For Iglesia Biblica Uncion con Gloria, located in Cataluna Tacares, Grecia Costa Rica, it has been not only a blessing but a miracle to be able to work with Matrix Ministry, because thru their economic support we have been able to continue building the church and we really appreciate it.
The economic situation in Costa Rica is very hard.

We pray that all the people that are making this possible will continue providing their support to sow in the Kingdom of the Lord, and that God will continue blessing them every day.

Thank you,

Pastor Oscar

Filed Under: Costa Rica

A Word From Pastor Oldemar

December 27, 2013 By

Blessings to all that the Lord allows read this letter.

It is a great pleasure for me to talk about Matrix Ministries, its directors, and all its partners, donors and advocates.Here in Atenas they have worked hard and have helped many people with the projects they have developed.


1. The Casa de la Cultura
It is a wonderful building that houses an area for laptops in which we give internet access to the poor students of Atenas, where they can also print their homework. They have a place for games as well, so they have a healthy choice of recreation. This building was built with the help of Matrix and its short-term teams . The ministry also helped provide the furniture for the building. Also, Ray and Cate worked on this project with their own hands, which was inspiring for all.

2. The Pastor’s Office 
Extraordinary, beautiful, useful. It is a place for prayer, counseling, and hard work in the study of the Bible.

3. The Multipurpose Room for Community
It is a place for social, cultural and educational activities. We offer various courses, and offer it to the community for birthdays, weddings, dinners, meetings , school classes , etc.

These projects have been built with the invaluable help of Matrix Ministries. God blessed us through this ministry to meet the needs of children, adolescents, adults and seniors.And spiritually , the directors and the teams have been have been a blessing and testimony of their devotion and passion for the less fortunate .

If you support this ministry, you are supporting God’s work in Costa Rica and other places that need help.

Pastor Oldemar Artavia Rodriguez, Iglesia Biblica

 

 

Filed Under: Costa Rica

July Mission Team in Costa Rica

August 10, 2013 By

On July 18 we led a missions team to Atenas, Costa Rica to serve at Iglesia Biblica and Hogar de Vida Children’s Home. Part of the team worked with Iglesia Biblica to demolish and start rebuilding their children’s building. They were so productive that they got ahead of schedule and were able to spend a day helping to build a playground at Residencia de Vida, a home for at risk adolescents. Meanwhile, the other half of our team did several painting project at Hogar de Vida and helped the Tia’s (house mom’s) with the children in the homes. The blessing went both ways as we loved on the kids!

It was a great week as we strengthened relationships with our Costa Rican partners and experienced God working through and in our lives to further His kingdom.

Here are some highlights.

Click to see video!

If  you are interested in future mission trip opportunities in Costa Rica,

please contact Cate Rader via email or call 214-213-4463.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

First Mission Trip Thoughts

May 2, 2013 By

My 1st mission trip……. Thank you so much Ray and Cate for taking me with you. I will be back to Hogar de Vida for sure. I had expectations, some were met and some were exceeded. I also must thank Tim and Dena for their hospitality, friendship, and ministry. I’ve not been able to think of much else since I got home yesterday. Still processing the changes in me. A experience of a lifetime and I thank God that He laid on my heart the desire to go. I will also have to go and get some more LOVE from the beautiful children at Hogar de Vida!!!!!!

~ Vicki Waldron

Filed Under: Costa Rica, Thoughts

A Day of Extremes

February 5, 2013 By

Yesterday was our excursion day here in Costa Rica and we went to La Fortuna to see Arenal Volcano and hot springs.  The volcano was shrouded in clouds in the morning but by afternoon they moved out and we were able to see it the peak. The hot springs were relaxing and it was wonderful to take in yet another view of God’s marvelous creation.

Arenal

 

After a wonderful day we made the 3 hour drive back to Atenas and I found myself thinking that our day was one of extremes. We spent the day surrounded by the beauty of nature and enjoyed the relaxation. But when I returned back to Hogar de Vida I unlocked our little cabin and couldn’t think of anywhere else I’d rather spend my night!

 

Filed Under: Costa Rica

Missions: Big and Small

February 4, 2013 By

This is our 6th mission team to go to Costa Rica in just under 2 years. On many of our trips we’ve had large teams and significant work projects planned at both Hogar de Vida Children’s Home and Iglesia Biblica in Atenas.  On this trip there are just 2 of us, but we felt that God had work for us to do and we should go whether the team was large or not. As I prepared for this trip a passage of scripture kept coming back to me over and over again.

” One of the things I always pray for is the opportunity, God willing, to come at last to see you. For I long to visit you……I’m eager to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. In this way, each of us will be a blessing to the other.”  ~ Romans 1: 10-12

Between the two of us, the amount of work we accomplish will probably seem small: cleaning the offices, raking leaves, and being an extra set of hands in the homes with the children. As we entertained 7 toddlers yesterday, Rebecca hung out the laundry and worked around the house and I imagined what a relief that must be to someone who cares for 10 children day after day and gets up every three hours at night with two newborns in the house. What a privilege it is to be able to lend a hand, a smile and words of encouragement to the women here who sacrifice so much.

At the same time I realize how much I look forward to my trips here, because I know my spirit will be renewed in a way that doesn’t happen easily at home. Several things happen:

1. The slower pace and the quiet provide an environment for thinking and prayer like no other.

2. Being on a mission trip is always wake up call and gives fresh fire to my commitment and responsibility to serving others. Getting out of my routine and the comforts of home is a great reminder of how abundantly I’ve been blessed and the responsibility that goes with that.

So while we have been sent to help others, I always go home feeling that I have been the one who was blessed the most.

Cate

Filed Under: Costa Rica

More Fences – More Orphans Helped

January 19, 2013 By

We’re finishing up another beautiful fence in McKinney this week. This is the third fence in the same neighborhood. I guess neighbors do take notice! In spite of the chilly weather, we are busier than ever for this time of year with about 8 fences sold and lined up to be built. This is great news because it means we’ll continue to have funds going toward orphanages where the money is so needed! Every time you see us post a picture of a fence I hope you will picture those who will be helped. That’s what I think about as the last nail is pounded and we step back to look at the finished fence.

 

We will be very busy over the next month, and I suspect this will continue into the spring.  While you might now be able to in a position to go on a mission trip and help out in another country right now, you CAN make a huge difference by giving a few hours to help us with a fence. What a great way to:

  • spend a Saturday morning with your son or daughter while mom is getting things done around the house
  • take a day with some coworkers and come out
  • bring your scout troop and teach the boys a new skill
  • fulfill community service hours for school projects

Here’s our upcoming schedule. If you can take a few hours out of your day and join us, we’ll be blessed, you’ll be blessed and some orphans will be blessed!

  • January 22-26 Fence in Allen
  • January 29-February 2 Fence in Frisco
  • February 5-9 Fence in Allen

Contact Catherine Kester, FFO Volunteer Coordinator, for directions.

 

Filed Under: Fences for Orphans
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